There are numerous applications in semiconductor processing in which it is desired to form conductive layers over oxides. For instance, transistor structures frequently comprise conductive layers formed over silicon dioxide (commonly referred to as a gate oxide). In some instances, the conductive materials comprise conductively doped silicon, and in such instances dopant can occasionally migrate through the oxide into an underlying substrate. In particular transistor devices, such dopant migration can be problematic. For instance, PMOS devices comprise an n-type channel region underneath a gate oxide, and can comprise p-type doped silicon over the gate oxide. If p-type dopant migrates from the silicon, through the oxide, and into the underlying substrate it will change the doping within the n-type channel. Such change can affect, and even destroy, electrical properties of the transistor. Accordingly, it can be desired to alleviate dopant migration relative to PMOS devices.
In contrast to the above-discussed problems which can be associated with PMOS devices, dopant migration is typically not problematic relative to NMOS devices. However, NMOS devices can have their own associated problems. For instance, it can be desired to form gate oxide for NMOS devices which is thicker than that utilized for PMOS devices. Such can be problematic in semiconductor wafer processing, in that both NMOS devices and PMOS devices are frequently formed over the same wafer. It would be desired to develop methodology which enables different gate oxide thicknesses to be associated with different transistors on the same wafer, and in particular applications desired to develop methodology to enable NMOS transistors to have thicker gate oxide than PMOS transistors.